1-Triacontanol, the primary alcohol having 30 carbon atoms, was separated and identified by Chibnall in 1933.
According to U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,970, 1-triacontanol is a growth regulator for plants. This activity is also supported by Science, Vol. 195, pages 1339 to 1341.
According to published European patent application No. 78,533 a topical pharmaceutical composition comprising 1-triacontanol as active ingredient is useful for treating skin disorders.
No reference has been made so far to the different sugar derivatives of 1-triacontanol.
The use of 1-triacontanol and the examination of the mechanism of its activity is very difficult as this compound is highly lipophylic and hardly dissolves in water.